Bitemarks

The head of the UK Supreme Court has recommended Jury primers for forensic science in a piece called “Stop needless dispute of science in the courts” published in Nature this week. We have described the use of the Jury primers before – they present a means of showing the trier …

This is the video that just been released showing the landmark committee decision to recommend banning bitemark evidence in Texas Courts. The video starts at the point that the committee begins the presentation by lead Counsel, Lynn Garcia, on the findings of the sub committee – and then you can …

Peter and Mary Bush, forensic scientists in the School of Dental Medicine, had much to celebrate during the past week. Their work — several studies that found the science behind bite-mark analysis unsound — helped lay the foundation for a landmark recommendation by the Texas Forensic Science Commission to ban …

The audio from the TFSC has just been released. Its over two and half hours, but Dr David Senn presents within the first few minutes and makes a startling admission I think that I am part of the problem No doubt that it is true. Senn, who has appeared three times …

Here is how the Houston Post described the findings from the Texas Forensic Science Commission. Why not listen to the NPR interview with Chris Fabricant on the impact of this finding here. There were bite marks on John Sweek’s arm when police found him stabbed to death on his kitchen …

Following the landmark decision of the Texas Forensic Science Commission to recommend a ban on the use of bitemarks, Chris Fabricant, Director of Strategic Litigation at the Innocence Project, talks to TPR on the reasons behind, and the impact of, the decision. Replaying some of Dr David Senn’s earlier interview on …

This article from the BBC shows the impact of the Texas decision and why, while many may have hoped that it would be restricted to Texas, it will have an enduring impact on justice systems worldwide. “I personally never could believe or understand the bite mark testimony, and some of …

“It’s too subjective. There is no criteria. As a result, I’m ready to face the absence of it in court, rather than have it be used,” Richard Alpert, Commission member So, after hours of testimony, hundreds of pages of anecdote and opinion, and, sadly, nowhere near enough science the Texas …

Peter Neufeld talks to Here&Now and raises issues in relation to forensic science including bitemarks. You can listen to the programme by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. Neufeld is the co-founder and co-director of the New York Innocence Project – one of the most active IPs …

While the experts continue to fight it out over what scientific basis there is for bitemarks and how far the evidence can be relied upon this piece from the New York Times reminds us that there are people at the end of these arguments. Its difficult to think of something …

Once again Dr David Senn, who reminds us that he is not in the ABFO leadership and yet he is always popping up representing and advocating for bitemarks, is defending bitemarks in a curious twist that presents the evidence as a major source of securing innocence? First at NAS, then …

Click above or on the play button below to hear yet another interview with David Senn as he is rolled out to defend bitemarks. This interview of NPR is in response to the Steven Chaney case: It really is quite soporific to listen to, but it does present one of …